Midori MD Notebook A5: MD Paper, Rulings & Pages
The Midori MD Notebook A5 is a thread-sewn notebook from Midori, a Designphil brand, first sold in 2008. It measures 148 × 210 mm and holds 176 pages of cream 80 g/m² MD Paper, blank or with 7 mm lines, a 5 mm grid, 5 mm dots or a frame. Midori lists it as made in Japan.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Midori MD Notebook A5, 176 pages (blank, lined, grid, dot grid or frame)
- Brand
- Midori
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Japan*
- Material
- Cream MD Paper, 80 g/m² (text, cover and endpapers); glassine jacket
- Released
- 2008*
- Price range
- $$$5–20 per notebook
Notes on these facts
- Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives 原産国 (country of origin) Made in Japan for the A5, as did the older Midori online store listing for the lined A5 (15294006). The Journal Shop, Galen Leather and Boston General Store agree. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Designphil's February 23, 2018 press release says Midori launched the MD Notebook in 2008 and marked its 10th anniversary in January 2018; Midori's store says the notebook reached 15 years in 2023, when it was renewed with MD Paper covers.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store lists the A5 at 210 × 148 × 10 mm (8.3 × 5.8 × 0.4 in) and about 258 g.
- It has 176 pages in five rulings: blank, 7 mm lined, 5 mm grid, 5 mm dot grid and frame.
- Midori gives the MD Paper inside as 80 g/m², settling the 80 vs 90 g/m² split among retailers.
- Designphil says Midori has developed MD Paper in-house since the 1960s and launched the MD Notebook in 2008.
- Midori's Japanese list price is ¥1,210 (about US$7.70) with tax, and it is made in Japan.
What is the Midori MD Notebook A5?
The Midori MD Notebook A5 is a plain, thread-bound A5 notebook built around Midori’s own cream MD Paper. Midori is a brand of Designphil Inc. in Tokyo, and it now sells the line under the name MD PRODUCT, through its own Japanese online store.
The design is deliberately simple: MD Paper for the pages, the cover and the endpapers, held at the spine with cloth (寒冷紗), and a glassine jacket that Midori says recalls old paperback books. A ribbon bookmark, whose color changes with the ruling, and index stickers complete it.
Midori MD Notebook A5 specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Size | A5: 148 × 210 × 10 mm (5.8 × 8.3 × 0.4 in) |
| Weight | About 258 g (9.1 oz) |
| Pages | 176 |
| Rulings | Blank · 7 mm lined · 5 mm grid · 5 mm dot grid · frame |
| Paper | MD Paper, cream, 80 g/m² |
| Binding | Thread-sewn (糸かがり), opens flat to 180°; exposed cloth spine |
| Cover | MD Paper, with a glassine paper jacket |
| Extras | Ribbon bookmark, index stickers (label and bookplate types) |
| Item number | 15384006 (blank) · 15385006 (lined) · 15386006 (grid) · 15387006 (dot grid) · 91804420 (frame) |
| List price (Japan) | ¥1,210 (about US$7.70) with tax |
| Made in | Japan (Midori) |
Every figure comes from Midori’s Japanese MD PRODUCT online store. The older Midori online store listing for the lined A5 (item 15294006, ¥990 (about US$6.30)) is marked sold out, with a note that the new MD PRODUCT items are sold on the MD PRODUCT store. The Journal Shop’s spec sheet repeats the 176 pages, 258 g and 80 g/m².
What is MD Paper?
MD Paper is Midori’s own writing paper, which Designphil says the company has developed in-house since the 1960s. Galen Leather gives the year as 1960; Midori itself says only “the 1960s”. The name is often read as “Midori Diary”, but Midori doesn’t spell it out.
Midori also sells MD Paper loose in pads; see our Midori MD Paper Pad guide for the paper on its own.
Midori’s store describes a faintly rough surface you can hear under the nib, and says the paper resists bleed-through and feathering even with a fountain pen. Galen Leather adds that Midori tests it with many writing tools for feathering, bleed, drying and glide. Those are the maker’s claims.
Is the MD Notebook good for fountain pens?
Midori markets MD Paper for fountain pens, but we haven’t tested it ourselves. One user review reports no feathering or bleed-through, but some ghosting with darker inks.
Results also depend on the nib width and how wet the ink is. A fine nib with a well-behaved ink is the safer start.
To see how MD Paper compares with Rhodia, Tomoe River and others, read our best notebooks for fountain pens.
Which ruling should you choose?
Choose lined for prose and journaling, grid or dots for planning and sketches, frame for dated notes, and blank for drawing. Midori’s Japanese store lists five rulings:
- Lined (7 mm): roomy line spacing, close to US college ruling of 7.1 mm; Midori says you can split each page top and bottom.
- Grid (5 mm): a fine grid that Midori likens to manuscript paper.
- Dot grid (5 mm): dots for text plus small diagrams.
- Frame: a blank page with a small box at the top for a title or date, modeled on a lab notebook.
- Blank: no printing, for sketching or free layouts.
All five have the same 176 pages, cover and price, so the ruling is the only difference. Dromgooles’ US listing names only four rulings; the frame version may not be sold everywhere.
How does it compare to a Leuchtturm1917 or Moleskine?
The MD Notebook is a lighter, soft-covered A5 with fewer pages and no hard cover or elastic.
| Midori MD Notebook A5 | Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 | Moleskine Classic Large | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 148 × 210 mm | 145 × 210 mm | 130 × 210 mm |
| Pages | 176 | 251, numbered | 240 |
| Paper | MD Paper, 80 g/m² | 80 g/m² | 70 g/m² |
| Cover | Paper | Hard cover, elastic | Hard cover, elastic |
For a dated, page-a-day book on thinner paper, see the Hobonichi Techo Original. The closest sewn, soft-cover rival is the Apica Premium C.D. Notebook, with 192 pages of 86.5 g/m² paper.
Where is the Midori MD Notebook made?
Midori’s Japanese MD PRODUCT store lists the MD Notebook A5 as Made in Japan, and the older Midori online store listing said the same. Retailer spec sheets agree: The Journal Shop and Galen Leather give Japan as the country of origin, and Boston General Store says “Made in Japan”. Midori itself is a Tokyo-based Designphil brand.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages are in a Midori MD Notebook A5?
The A5 MD Notebook has 176 pages, per Midori's Japanese store, in every one of its five rulings.
What size is the Midori MD Notebook A5?
Midori lists it at 210 × 148 × 10 mm, or about 8.3 × 5.8 inches and 0.4 inches thick, and about 258 g. That is standard A5, a little wider than a Moleskine Large.
Is Midori MD paper good for fountain pens?
Midori says MD Paper resists feathering and bleed-through even with a fountain pen. Some users still report ghosting with dark inks, and we have not tested it ourselves.
What is the paper weight of the MD Notebook?
80 g/m², according to Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store. Some retailers list 90 g/m², but the maker's figure is 80.
Does the Midori MD Notebook lie flat?
Yes. Midori says the thread-sewn (糸かがり) binding lets it open flat to 180 degrees from the first page to the last.
What does MD stand for in Midori MD?
It is often read as Midori Diary, but Midori doesn't spell it out on its product pages or in the Designphil press release we read, so treat that as an unofficial reading.
Where is the Midori MD Notebook made?
In Japan. Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store lists the A5 notebook as Made in Japan, and retailer spec sheets agree. Midori is a brand of Designphil, based in Tokyo.
Sources
- MDノート［A5］ (MD PRODUCT Japanese online store: 210 × 148 × 10 mm, 176 pages, about 258 g, 80 g/m², five rulings, item numbers, ¥1,210, made in Japan)
- MDノート＜A5＞ 横罫A(15294006) (Midori Japan online store, older listing: 7 mm, 176 pages, thread-sewn, opens 180°, renewed January 2023, MD Paper since the 1960s, made in Japan; sales ended)
- 『MD ノート＜A5＞10th』『MD ノートカバー 10th 紙（コルドバ）』 (Designphil press release, February 23, 2018: MD Notebook launched 2008; MD Paper developed since the 1960s)
- MD Notebook (MD PRODUCT site, English: sizes and prices)
- The Journal Shop: Midori MD Notebook A5 Lined (176 pages, about 258 g, 80 g/m², country of origin Japan)
- Dromgooles: MD Product A5 Notebook Lined (maker's description, four rulings)
- Galen Leather: Midori MD Notebook A5 Lined, 176 pages (80 gsm spec, 90 g/m² in text, origin Japan, US price)
- Galen Leather: Midori MD Notebook A5 Grid, 176 pages
- Boston General Store: Midori MD Paper Notebook (176 pages, made in Japan)
- JetPens: MD Notebook A5 Blank (US listing)